My dog, Lulu, is named after an athletic wear company. Lulu is deathly afraid of garbage trucks and any beeping noise. She is supposedly a German Shepherd and Labrador mix, but we suspect that she is actually a coyote. Our fierce protector will run the opposite way with a strong gust of wind. She walks into every corner despite her heightened senses. She can hear food being served from far far away but rarely comes when called. Bruno Mars is her sworn enemy – “Smoking out the window” precedes most of her disappearing acts. She has toy upon toy but favors a little rubber shoe that becomes disgustingly sticky. She’ll never eat food droppings off the floor, she must be served like royalty and she will only eat if it’s tasty. Enter: French fries. Her favorite pastime is gnawing on a punching bag in the home-gym, somehow destroying something meant to take hits. She can usually be found under a cluttered desk, surrounded by outdoor shoes or on her bad days, in an awkward corner of the bathroom, nestled around the toilet.
Lulu is the strangest, yet wisest, little thing I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.
I’ve been working on a research project for an Anthropology course lately. It regards pet ownership, looking at a pet’s value through the lens of kinship and emotional support. Through this, I’ve come to learn that many people own pets and while they offer companionship, unconditional love and a source of joy, they also offer great wisdom. While I once had a hamster named “Barberella” who met an unfortunate end (as hamsters do) and many nameless fish, I am a dog-owner through and through. With that being said, here are 5 things we can learn from dogs, as seen through Lulu De Zilva:
They revel in every moment.
Lulu finds joy in the simplest things. She’s her happiest when the whole family is home. She’ll sit in pools of golden sunlight throughout our house, basking in its warmth or better yet, curled up blissfully on the couch as the family watches television. The second her leash is picked up, she sprints towards the front door with something resembling a smile adorning her furry face. She loves to play and could do so for hours on end – I wonder if it’s because she thinks we love to play or because she does. She eats the same meal twice a day every day with no complaints. Her food bowl hits the floor and she looks at it like it’s a turkey dinner. While my family and I complained about the mounds of snow surrounding our home, Lulu was trotting through it, making doggy-snow-angels and chowing down on yellow snow of her own making. Lulu is always living in the present moment. She does not need anything excessive to be her joyful little self. She loves her home, her family, her toys, her time outdoors (but only when the weather is to her liking and it’s not garbage day) and food – minus most veggies.
Gratitude comes easy – and often.
Although Lulu’s communication skills are very limited, with a few different barks that we have to decipher, she is extremely grateful. More often than not, we return home with gifts for her. We’ll hold out a new toy in front of her and you can see her wheels spinning as she slowly understands that this is something special for her. After sufficient rumpus-time with the new toy, she’ll come back and thank you in her own voiceless way. Every night around dinner time, she stares holes into the back of your head while scratching the fridge, indicating that she wants food and she wants it now. The second she finishes her meal, peace is restored and Lulu will say her thanks before turning in for a post-meal nap. Whenever you take her for a walk, or help her climb up onto the bed, or guide her as she climbs awkwardly down the stairs, her gratitude is evident, even without a “thanks.”
Dogs are, “man’s best friend.”
This saying is something that everyone grows up hearing and it’s certainly true. A dog’s loyalty and unconditional love will never waver. They love openly, without expecting anything in return. They are also selfless in a way that is hard to describe, in a way that is so admirable. Most mornings, I wake up to weird noises coming from areas of my room that I cannot see from bed. Once I get up, I see that it’s Lulu who is comfortably sprawled out on my carpet, keeping me company until I am ready to start the day. Throughout the day, she’s like a shadow, trailing behind us and sitting at our feet. (This is especially the case for my Dad, who is her best friend in the whole entire world.) Her constant presence is reassuring and comforting in such a peaceful way. Dogs prove that actions speak louder than words. Lulu has never uttered a word to me, but I am certain of her love.
They have an admirable ability to forgive, as well as the ability to accept and move on from emotions.
I’d be lying if I said that I never got frustrated with Lulu. There’s many times when you’re in a rush, trying to move around the house and she’s sitting on your feet, tripping you with every step. It’s like when you’re rushing around and the belt loop on your pants pulls on something, yanking you back. It is a great test of patience. She can certainly feel the frustration, it’s so evident in her eyes, but she’s so forgiving. The second you say, “I’m sorry, Lulu. I’m in a rush today” she’ll walk up to you, with understanding in her eyes and comfort you. It’s the same when you take her to the vet… At first, she will rage at you and defy you at every turn. Our last visit was a hot mess. Genuinely, it was a mess in need of serious mopping. After the appointment, she had already forgotten her anger and was happy, yet again. Unlike humans who may stew in negative emotions for hours or days or weeks at a time, for my dog or perhaps dogs in general, it’s there and then it’s gone.
Intuition guides them.
Lastly, Lulu is incredibly intuitive. My family and I are true believers that dogs have a sixth-sense, sensing things that aren’t so obvious to humans. It could be that they’re closer to that animalistic, predator-and-prey mindset than us… When Lulu openly loves someone, she will make it known. That person will usually end up with a pile of toys at their feet and an escort for when they walk to the bathroom. Through her actions, we know that the individual has good intent or a kind heart. When she’s weary of a person, we take it as a sign. I trust her judgement more than my own, which is a laughable thing to admit but true nonetheless. Years ago, she urinated in a friend’s shoe. That friendship was not an everlasting one and Lulu knew it. She is wise in a way that may not come easily to humans.
Despite the tragically small time a pet may be in our lives, they are certainly in it for a reason, filling them with pure unconditional love, boundless joy, emotional comfort and beyond that, many valuable lessons that can be applied throughout life. Although it was bargain-priced to adopt Lulu into our family, her sweet heart goes to show the priceless impact of pets. Show a little extra love to your pets today (go give them a treat right this second).